HEFCW/08/79 Annex E Students more satisfied than ever before 11 September 2008 By Melanie Newman Most are happy with teaching but assessment is still a concern, reports Melanie Newman Overall student satisfaction is higher than ever before, according to the results of the 2008 National Student Survey. For universities in England, students' overall satisfaction rate rose slightly from 81 per cent last year to 82 per cent, while satisfaction scores in six specific areas, including teaching, assessment and academic support, also all increased. Students are most satisfied with the teaching they receive, with 83 per cent reporting general satisfaction. But satisfaction with "assessment and feedback" remained lower than in other areas, at 64 per cent. A total of 149 higher education institutions from across the UK took part in the survey, with almost 210,000 students taking part. Minister for Students Delyth Morgan said: "The continued high level of satisfaction is a welcome testament to the quality of the teaching and learning experience in this country." The National Union of Students welcomed the improved scores, but expressed concern that students taking higher education courses in further education colleges were less satisfied than their counterparts studying in universities. Only 58 per cent of students taking higher education courses in further education colleges agreed that their course was well organised and managed, compared with 71 per cent of those studying in universities. The top UK satisfaction score of 96 per cent went to the University of Buckingham, a private institution. Vice-chancellor Terence Kealey said: "This is the third year that we've come top because we are the only university in Britain that focuses on the student rather than on government or regulatory targets. Every other university should copy us and become independent." Bishop Grosseteste University College scored 92 per cent, up from 87 per cent in 2007. Principal Muriel Robinson said this was a result of listening to students. "We take what they say very seriously and we act on what we hear," she said. The University of Sussex was among the most improved institutions, scoring 86 per cent, up from 78 per cent in 2007. Vice-chancellor Michael Farthing said: "We identified the areas in which we were failing - library resources, advice and support to students, feedback - and got staff and students involved in producing action plans." The GuildHE mission group, representing smaller and specialist higher education institutions, said the results showed that students were happiest when studying in institutions that paid them the most personal attention. Alice Hynes, chief executive HEFCW/08/79 Annex E of GuildHE, said common features among nearly all of the institutions with top satisfaction ratings were the presence of a collegiate environment that focused on developing the whole student, and a relatively small size that made it easier to give students personal attention. As it did last year, the University of the Arts London came bottom of the satisfaction league, with 63 per cent. Will Bridge, deputy rector, said: "The student experience remains at the heart of what we do, and we will continue to work with the Students' Union to identify ways to improve." Anglia Ruskin University's overall satisfaction rating fell eight percentage points in a year to 66 per cent. Paul McHugh, director of student services, said the university's internal surveys of postgraduate and undergraduate students had "always been at odds with the NSS" but said that this year "the disparity was greater than ever". "For example, 76 per cent of our students would recommend Anglia Ruskin to a friend while only 6 per cent would definitely not; these figures are a puzzlingly long way from the NSS's overall satisfaction score," he said. Southampton Solent University's overall score fell from 76 per cent in 2007 to 68 per cent. A spokesperson said: "At a time when the university's courses are more popular than ever and graduate employment is at an all-time high, we are surprised and disappointed at our NSS score. We have no immediate explanation but we take our students' feedback - and the quality of their experience with us - very seriously and we will be looking into the matter." Ruth Farwell, vice-chancellor of Bucks New University, which had a satisfaction rating of 68 per cent, said that some scores for teaching in specific departments were very high, but added: "We actively encourage critical debate ... and have not sought to influence the feedback given by students. We have had the university title for less than a year, and are part-way through a major campus redevelopment project. We are convinced that the changes will have a significant impact on student satisfaction in future years." [email protected] Most-satisfied students Institution 2005 2006 2007 2008 University of Buckingham 94 93 96 Royal Academy of Music 95 81 90 94 The Open University 95 95 95 94 University of St Andrews 92 94 93 Courtauld Institute of Art 100 81 74 93 University of Cambridge 93 University of Oxford 92 92 HEFCW/08/79 Annex E University of East Anglia 88 89 89 92 Birkbeck, University of London 90 91 92 92 Bishop Grosseteste University College 88 89 87 92 Lincoln University of Leicester 89 89 90 92 University of Exeter 86 85 91 91 University of Aberdeen 88 91 Loughborough University 88 88 89 91 Harper Adams University College 90 86 91 90 Aberystwyth University 87 90 90 90 St George’s Hospital Medical School 86 80 87 90 Institute of Education 83 80 90 University of Kent 86 86 88 90 University of Sheffield 86 84 87 89 The tables show the percentage of students, full and part time, who “definitely” or “mostly” agreed with the statement: “Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of my course.” Least-satisfied students Institution 2005 2006 2007 2008 University of the Arts London 63 64 63 Anglia Ruskin University 78 75 74 66 University College for the Creative Arts 66 65 65 67 Leeds College of Music 0 53 68 Southampton Solent University 72 76 68 Bucks New University 71 73 68 68 Leeds Metropolitan University 75 72 68 70 Writtle College 81 77 71 London Metropolitan University 67 70 72 University of East London 76 73 University of Westminster 74 74 74 73 Birmingham City University 72 76 74 74 Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 75 HEFCW/08/79 Annex E Thames Valley University 67 73 75 Manchester Metropolitan University 76 74 78 75 London South Bank University 80 75 Middlesex University 68 72 72 75 University of Huddersfield 83 80 75 76 University of Wales, Newport 80 78 73 76 University College Falmouth 79 69 78 76 To allow a comparison with previous years, only the responses of students actually taught in the institutions concerned are included. Those taking the institutions’ courses, but registered at partner further education colleges, are not included. NHS students are not included. See www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/nss/data/2008 How students rated specific areas in England 2007 NSS 2008 NSS % reporting satisfaction The teaching on my course 82 83 Assessment and feedback 62 64 Academic support 71 73 Organisation and management 71 73 Learning resources 80 81 Personal development 77 78 Overall satisfaction 81 82 FOREIGNERS FLOCK TO STUDY IN UK The UK continues to be an attractive destination for foreign students and is second only to the United States overall, says the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) annual Education at a Glance report. The UK has the sixth-highest number of science graduates per 100,000 employed in the 25-34 age group, ahead of Germany and Japan. The UK's high degree-completion rate resulted in a supply of graduates above the OECD average, despite average levels of enrolment. The OECD reports that the UK is unusual in that the proportion of new higher education entrants is highest in humanities, art and education. In most countries, the majority of students study social sciences, law and business. HEFCW/08/79 Annex E Universities UK, however, said the report showed that the UK remains below average for public investment in higher education, investing 0.9 per cent of gross domestic product. HEFCW/08/79 Annex E Cryptic feedback baffles students 18 September 2008 By Chloe Stothart Those at elite institutions find lecturers' notes less useful than those at post-92s, says Chloe Stothart Nearly a third of students think that the feedback they get from their lecturers does not tell them how to improve their work, a study has found. Many students surveyed said they were confused and frustrated by "cryptic" feedback that posed questions but did not tell them where they had gone wrong in their work. The study for the National Union of Students found that students at post-1992 institutions tended to be happier with the quality of their feedback because they felt it was tailored to them and related better to the marking criteria. Students at the elite, research-led Russell Group universities found their feedback less useful. Aaron Porter, vice-president for higher education at the NUS, said the results were "worrying". Only a quarter of students got verbal feedback yet nearly three quarters wanted it. The students commented that they needed a good relationship with their tutor to get verbal help but such relationships were rare. The number of students getting verbal feedback was lowest at Russell Group universities. Mr Porter said: "If you are seeing staff for one or two hours a week then there isn't the time to develop the relationship.